Waiting Games
by ComicalContemplations
Summary: Daryl Dixon went off to search for his brother Merle, leaving only a letter in explanation. Not everyone in the group is as accepting of the decision. Though when Daryl returns to the camp a few months later, there is an extra member waiting to meet him.
1. Too Tired To Be Angry

**Waiting Games**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or show, as if my feeble mind could create something so exciting!

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><p><span>Too Tired To Be Angry<span>

A small sigh parted from Andrea's lips as her gaze travelled to the setting sun which was gradually sinking behind the mountains and trees. The blistering Georgia heat caused sweat to trickle down her neck and create a path along her collarbone that disappeared into her cleavage. Andrea's hand rested against the swell of her stomach, caressing the life growing inside.

"Andrea, sweetheart...are you alright?" Dale asked, stepping out of his RV and making his way towards the woman he considered his daughter. The troubled look didn't go unnoticed to Andrea, she merely chose to ignore it.

Everyone seemed to be worrying about her these days, it was impossible to get a moment to herself without the constant presence of eyes watching her every move. Even _Queen Lori_ would step off her high throne each day to check on Andrea, giving her what _she _considered to be a comforting speech.

Andrea didn't want the sympathy talks, the pitiful looks...not even the words of encouragement. She just wanted to be left alone, just for one goddamned minute. The camp was suffocating her and the worst part was, she couldn't storm off into the woods or go for a walk in the fields to vent and breathe.

If she so much as shuffled a few paces out of camp someone would instantly come jogging after her. So many times she had argued, fought back and lost...it would always come back to the same conclusion.

_"Sweetie, it's for the best...we can't have you wandering about alone with walkers everywhere, how's a pregnant woman going to defend herself...please Andrea, think about your baby."_

And so here she was, trapped by duty. She craned her neck round to give Dale a withering look and the older man immediately raised his hands in surrender. Andrea wasn't angry with Dale, she wasn't even really angry at the group...the truth was she was angry at _him_.

"Ok, I get it, but sometimes I have to hear it, you know? Gives my mind some peace." Dale said as he sat next to Andrea, his wrinkled eyes watching her carefully before looking out into the distance to catch the last of the day and welcome the night.

"I know and I'm fine, I really am...it just gets tiring having everyone breathing down my neck." Andrea answered, still stroking her bulging tummy subconsciously. Turning to look at Dale, she offered him a tiny smile and he returned it with one filled with warmth.

After a long moment of comfortable silence Dale looked up at the darkening sky with a look of thoughtfulness. He knew his one on one time with Andrea would soon come to an end when the rest of the group gathered to start a fire for the night.

"Daryl might come back you know..." Dale stated, watching as a dark shadow crossed Andrea face at the mention of the crossbow wielding hunter. It was a dangerous topic to bring up, but Dale believed the subject needed to be breached...though it was obvious Andrea didn't agree.

"It wouldn't matter if he did." Was her clipped reply, her blue-green eyes narrowed though continued to stare ahead into the growing darkness.

"Andrea, you can't stay mad at the man...he went to go find his brother, despite what we all feel for Merle Dixon, he is Daryl's brother and it was going to happen sooner or later." Dale tried to reason with her. He knew Daryl was a good man, did a lot to help the group and even though he may not have had the closest relationship with his older brother, Daryl wouldn't just let him die.

"And what about us? Are we not good enough for him anymore...we were more family to him than Merle ever was! Now more than ever." Andrea's voice broke as a sob escaped her. She wanted to be stronger, she had to be stronger...but after all this time she still couldn't believe he had actually up and left.

All the times she and Daryl were together Andrea would ask if he'd ever go and search for his brother. And Daryl would always answer with the same nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and a _"probably"_. But after all that time, she never truly believed he would...until he disappeared in the middle of the night with only a simple note in his wake.

It had broken her heart that he didn't even have the guts to say goodbye, instead he had sneaked off while she was sleeping.

Dale stood from his seat and pulled Andrea up from her own, wrapping his arms around her as she cried into his shoulder. There wasn't anything he could do to make her feel better, all he could offer her was comfort and maybe one day she would even accept the hope.

"Oh, I'm sorry...but Rick's been asking around for you Dale." Carol said timidly, feeling as though she was trespassing on a shared moment not meant for her eyes.

The older man nodded and pressed a kiss to Andrea's temple, running his hands up and down her arms reassuringly.

"Everything is gonna work out, just you wait and see." Dale smiled before turning and walking in the direction of the Grimes' tent, patting Carol on the shoulder as he walked past. Carol just stood awkwardly for a second, then edged her way over to where Andrea was once again sat. She took the now vacant seat across from the blonde and her eyes darted towards the large bump on Andrea's torso.

"You're going to make a good mother Andrea, your baby is lucky to have you...and Daryl." She smiled nervously, wringing her hands together as she pushed herself forward and inhaled the night air.

"That's the thing though isn't it, Daryl isn't here." Andrea whispered, she was too worn out to continue her soiling of Daryl Dixon's saint-like reputation for the day. She was finally tired of being angry.

"Well in that case your baby is extremely lucky to have you, you're so much stronger than the rest of us...you can protect your baby in a way I never could mine, in a way Lori can't protect Carl." Carol said, as Andrea looked at her with a mixture of shock and appreciation. She was touched by Carol's words and for the first time in months, Andrea smiled...not a shadow of a smile, but a genuine one.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me...and you're right, my baby is lucky, cause look at all the people surrounding him or her, I'm not the best candidate for motherhood...but I'm not worried because I know if I screw up you'll be there to help me." Andrea said, unclasping Carol's hands and taking one into her own. The two sat there for awhile enjoying the peace and calm, a flesh to flesh touch reminding them that they weren't alone.

"Ladies dinner is on the spit if you'd like to join us." The voice of Rick Grimes disrupted the silence, causing the two women to release their hold on one another.

"You go on ahead, I'll come over in a minute...promise." Andrea said, offering the police officer and Carol a smile of assurance. They both parted and left Andrea to sit and watch the dotted around stars which painted pictures in the nights' sky.

"Come back Daryl Dixon..._we need you here_." Andrea whispered.


	2. Something To Look Foward To

**Waiting Games**

Disclaimer: Unfortunately none of this belongs to me, despite how much I wish it was.

A/N ~ I also want to say a big thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and alerted this story. I genuinely appreciate it and hope to continue pleasing you wonderful people!

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><p><span>Something To Look Forward To<span>

Days passed by until eventually they all seemed to clash together, merging into one. When the sun rose people would wake and when the stars lit up the sky, it was time to rest heads on pillows...that was the mutual understanding around camp. But this wasn't the case for Andrea, the little life growing inside was restless and chose to keep the blonde up at all hours.

She glared up at the roof staring at nothing in particular, just peering into the dim room with loathing. The campfire had gone out hours ago and Andrea hadn't so much as gained a wink of sleep. The rest of the group would have been in deep slumber by now, apart from T-Dog whose turn it was to take watch.

"Ok! You win, mommy isn't going to get any sleep tonight." She whispered, her tone a clear indication of the defeat she felt. Pushing herself up off the bed was only a minor challenge, it was getting past a snoring Dale and out of the RV which was the main difficulty. As she crept along the mobile home, Andrea couldn't help but pause and stare at the snoozing man...Dale had been so good to her so many times, she didn't understand why he continued to look out for her when she was so terrible to him. Whatever the reason Dale Horvath put up with her shit, she was glad...because without him she would have been a wreck.

oOo

The moment her bare feet met the grassy ground below, Andrea instantly felt as though the chains holding her back had been loosened from her body. Dragging in a deep breath of the cool still air, her eyes began to wander around the hilltop which had become their new home.

They hadn't moved in at least six months, it was the final stop before Daryl had gone. The area was great for looking out at the vast valleys beneath which ran on for a few miles. And further still were large mountains which touched the sky. Forests surrounded the clearing offering shade from the hot hours of the day. An abandoned local town was situated only seven miles west once reaching the highway.

All in all it was the perfect setting. But Andrea wasn't a stupid woman, she knew that despite the location and comfort...that wasn't the reason the group were still there. No one had the balls to outright admit it, happy enough to let her believe that they chose to stay because they were tired of travelling and worried about her nearing due date.

It was all bullshit and Andrea saw right through all their pretences, they were staying because they hoped Daryl would return to find them right in the exact place he had left them.

With a sigh Andrea peered up at the sky to see the crescent moon which released a tranquil glow, giving the trees and tall grass a silvery tint.

"Nice ain't it?" Came a deep voice from above, quickly shifting her gaze up to see T-Dog standing on top of the RV with his rifle. His eyes weren't on her, but it was clear he was addressing her.

"What you doin' out of bed? Woman in your condition needs as much rest as possible." T-Dog said when he finally pulled his gaze towards Andrea. Rolling her blue-green eyes, Andrea offered a simple shrug in reply.

"I would if only this one would quit with all the kicking, kicks all day and all night...won't even have the courtesy to give me a moments break." Andrea huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in half-annoyance. A smile quirked on T-Dog's lips as his low chuckle filled the night air.

"Naw, that's jus' the wee man's way of telling you he's there." T-Dog grinned brightening Andrea's dampened mood.

"And what makes you think it's a boy?" Andrea replied teasingly, though she was curious to hear his answer. She hadn't given much thought to her baby's gender, it was always just the _baby_. A frown etched into her brow as she realized not once had she thought that she was going to have a son who would smile a big toothy smile and get his knees grazed while playing...or a daughter who would have the cutest blonde ringlets and ask her _mommy_ to play with dolls.

"Jus' a feelin'...plus kid's got one badass momma." T-Dog joked, though the humour shared between the two instantly died down when Andrea doubled over gasping. Her eyes were squeezed shut and T-Dog hurried down to her side, helping her put some weight onto him.

"I'm fine, I'll be alright." Andrea said, while breathing in and out in an attempt to lessen the pain in her lower abdomen. Though the idea was squished when she felt warm liquid run down the inside of her trousers.

"Seriously? Now." She whispered, a hand firmly attached to her baby-bump as if her child needed the comforting.

"Come on! I'll help you into bed and then I'll go wake the others." T-Dog instructed, already pulling Andrea towards the RV. Once inside, the commotion and hurried shifting woke Dale from the couch. The older man took in the scene and immediately began to take action, grasping Andrea's hand and guiding her to the bed in the back as T-Dog ran out to get the others.

oOo

Everything after the initial shock happened in a blur, though time didn't seem to go by fast enough for Andrea who spent the good part of dawn huffing, puffing and pushing. The group moved together with the men bringing supplies back and forth to the RV. Carol, Maggie and Lori stayed with Andrea throughout the labour and when the time came they were there to help bring her baby into the world.

"What are you going to name him?" Dale asked a tired looking Andrea. Her eyes were drooping, though she fought fiercely against sleep. Her gaze lifted to find Dale standing by the door and gestured for him to come inside. Dale happily took the invitation and shuffled into the room, taking a seat next to the bed and peaking a glance at the bundle in Andrea's arms.

"Don't know...I'd be lying if I said I'd thought about it before." Was her mumbled reply, staring with complete love at her baby boy. She looked back at Dale giving him one of her rare smiles and pushed out her arms with what little strength she had left.

"Here, take him...maybe you'll have better luck with a name." Her hoarse voice stated. Dale looked cautiously at the new mother before gently accepting the precious bundle. The smile that appeared of his face caused Andrea to laugh weakly, it surprised her how everyone's spirits seemed to lift.

In the world they lived in before hundreds of babies were born every day, it wasn't anything special unless you were somehow personally connected. Now new life was in abundance and there wasn't much to look forward to. But now Andrea had something to look forward to, someone who was completely her's, someone she wouldn't let slip away.


End file.
